One Last Hope
by rain against a window
Summary: During Frisk's battle with Flowey (Neutral Run), the 6 human SOULs awaken without their memories. They need to regain these lost memories, and find a way to aid Frisk. Doing so is the only way they can save themselves and move on to the afterlife (at least until the next RESET).
1. The Discerning Mage

**A/N: Hi. This is my first time posting a story online. I've had this idea in my head for a while now, but it took a long time for me to decide to share it to others. I'm not really comfortable sharing my ideas with others because I end up feeling self-conscious, but I know that someday, I have to push myself to explore outside my comfort zone, right? Well, here you go. Constructive criticism is welcome so that I know where I can improve, but please be polite.**

 **As for updating regularly, I can't really give promises. My academic workload is pretty heavy. I will do my best to update once a month, though.**

 **Anyways, here. Enjoy :D**

Okay… Where am I? Why is everything black and dark?

Oh wait, no. There's enough light from the attacks in front of me. Multiple white knives were being thrown around, spinning around while aiming for a little kid. Huh, where did these knives come from? Am I the one attacking the kid? I look down upon my body, and I see nothing. Weird. I don't understand it. I continued watching, as if I were seeing a movie. Maybe if I had popcorn along with my own physical body, everything would feel like a typical movie night.

My movie experience suddenly turned more realistic, as I could hear loud cackling; a sound that seemed to be inside my head yet all around me at the same time. I rack my brain, trying to look for information that could explain my current situation, but there was absolutely nothing. Everything is blank.

Are you kidding me? You mean I don't know who I am, how I got here, and what the heck is going on? I had so many more questions buzzing through my head, but I could not come up with answers to even a single question.

As I was about to give up, I could sense what seemed to be an entirely new database separate from my own brain. I don't know where this database came from or what is inside it, but I still reached out for it without hesitation. I gasped, and if I could step backward, I would have. Memories that weren't mine flashed through my brain in an instant: images of being shot and stabbed, being in a cold, dark lab and being injected with some weird extract, seeing several monsters in the Underground and killing them off in various ways. With that, I understood the general situation. I am inside an odd flower thing's body – Flowey, it calls itself. My SOUL was absorbed by Flowey, and now, I could feel him using my own SOUL power to form those attacks against the kid.

Wait a sec… my SOUL was absorbed by Flowey? He's using my SOUL power? How did he get my SOUL in the first place? Shouldn't it be stuck inside my body, and - Oh! The realization hit me as I realized the truth about myself. If this isn't my body, and yet my SOUL is in here, then I'm dead. As that fact sunk in, I began having more questions about myself. So, if I'm dead, how exactly did I die? Is there any way for me to get out of here? Is there an afterlife, or will I cease to exist the moment I escape this body?

Wait, what was I doing again? I snapped myself out of my reverie and looked at my surroundings. Right. Kid getting attacked. Huh, that sucks for them. I guess I should help. I don't know what kind of person I've been in life, but right now, I don't really like staying here. The child is what is making things interesting right now, so admittedly, I am curious to see what happens if they survive for long enough. Besides, I don't really feel so good about having my SOUL power harnessed to attempt child murder. I know I'm not really the one who is doing it, but I still feel as if I am some sort of accomplice to killing the child.

Welp, looks like this is going to be a long, extreme rollercoaster. I don't know if I am frightened, curious, intrigued, or just fatigued. Perhaps all at the same time? Regardless, I just need to stay here for a bit and gather enough information to fully comprehend the situation, and perhaps find more answers about myself. This is nothing but a simple problem, and all problems have a logical method that can solve it, right? Heck, each problem may have various solutions, depending on the solver's level of creativity.

I'm curious to see what happens next. How long can this kid manage until they die? How long can I manage until I run out of SOUL power? How exactly is Flowey utilizing my SOUL to power attacks?

Wait a sec. Why am I morbidly curious to find out how long the child can take this? Wasn't I saying earlier I didn't want any part in killing them? Geez, is my thought process really this messed up? I really should try focusing more on gathering information.

I watch the kid dodging the knives for their life. They could not be older than 10, and yet somehow, they were evading the attacks skillfully. Clearly, this isn't the first time they have been in battle. The kid had a somewhat yellowish skin tone, and they were wearing a blue and pink sweater over their brown pants. Several cuts and burns are visible on their body, and even their clothes were not spared from the damage. Their HP was somewhat already low, despite their skill in evasion. I'm assuming that Flowey really is a powerful creature hellbent on killing this child. Any other kid would have been sitting down and bawling their eyes out, yet they kept going with a wildfire burning in their eyes. Of course. They were a Determination SOUL, as I could see their red heart floating as it shone brightly in the midst of the attacks. Huh, I guess that explains it. That may also explain how they have lasted long in this battle. Determination SOULs are deemed to be the most powerful type of human SOUL present.

? How did I know this? Is this a part of Flowey's knowledge, or is it something that resurfaced from my missing memories? Also, why on earth is there something called a "determination SOUL"? Aren't all humans inherently determined by themselves? We all have wishes, dreams, goals, and ambitions. Wouldn't everyone have at least a modicum of determination to push themselves to achieve those desires? With these observations in mind, wouldn't everyone have determination within their SOULS?

Actually, why are there various types of SOULs? That's dumb. You can say a person is kind, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is a Kindness SOUL. It does not necessarily follow that you need to be a Kindness SOUL to be nice to people, otherwise, there would be more horrid people than there already are.

I keep digressing. Focus. We are here to observe my current situation so that I could regain more memories.

I watched as the knives continued to fall. If my SOUL power is being harnessed for these attacks, it's possible that these attacks are shaped by my SOUL, not Flowey's imagination. If that were the case, is it possible that these attacks were shaped by my SOUL because they have something to do with my past? Hmm, how are knives related to me? Have I used them to attack in the past? Was I killed by a knife? Are knives my biggest fear?

A weird image came into my mind….

 _I was lying on a bed, and I was looking at a big Boss Monster with a crown on his head. His build is huge and intimidating, but his gentle face looked sad and guilty. I could see the sadness, guilt, and regret etched all over his face, yet he forced himself to give a small smile. "Thank you," he whispered with the deepest voice I have ever heard from anyone. He gripped my hand tightly, and I found myself gripping his hand as well, if that were possible given how big his hand is._

" _Good luck," I whispered in a weak, frail, old woman's voice. I felt a small smile tug at the corner of my lips as I closed my eyes._

Mmkay, so I died an old woman, I think? That was a death sequence, right? I presumably died in the presence of the king of monsters, unless there are other monsters hanging around the Underground who wore crowns. To be honest, he didn't seem like an intimidating king back there. Rather, he looked like a dad who had to watch his child die right before his eyes.

Huh, a father eh? I must have had a father in the past, right? I wonder who he is, and what type of person he was? Was he a good dad, or the kind that beats up his own children? I wonder how he reacted when either a. he died or b. I fell into the Underground.

Another image came to me...

 _This time, I saw the face of a man probably in his forties. He smiled as he handed me a gift wrapped in a green birthday wrapper. I beamed up at him and unwrapped it. Soon enough, I saw that I was one of those kitchen toy sets that little girls normally get. My smile grew wider, and I excitedly removed the contents from the box. Before long, I was able to set up the mini kitchen._

" _What are you going to make today, darling?" the man asked me. He looked like he barely had at most three hours of sleep every night, yet he did not show any signs of fatigue. Instead, he seemed energized to play with me._

" _Alright!" I exclaimed excitedly. "I'll make fish and chips for dinner." I took the toy fish and a small toy knife. I have to admit: the knife looks almost real, except it was made out of plastic. Maybe these toy manufacturers wanted to make their kitchen sets more realistic? "So, first, I'll remove the fish scales, then…"_ The vision cut off there.

Was that my dad? Yeah, I think he is. I can't remember more about him, though. I turned my attention to other details of the memory, and zoomed in on the toy knife I had used. A toy knife, huh? Is that where the knife manifestation came from? I wonder why my SOUL decided to manifest attacks as knives. Before I could contemplate more, I was interrupted from my thoughts by a cry for help. I instantly turned and saw that the child was trying to reach out to me, imploring my aid. Their high pitched, childish voice activated another vision…

 _This time, I was in a dark place, with only the moonlight shining down on me. It appears I must have fallen. I sat up and looked around me. I was sitting on a patch of golden flowers, and judging from the distance between me and the hole on the ground from which I fell from, I survived quite a fall._

" _Hello? Somebody? Help me, please!" I called out, my voice shaky and frightened._

 _But nobody came._

" _Papa? Papa, where are you?" I cried out._

 _I waited, but there was silence._

 _I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to warm myself, and I sat down on the flowers. "I'll just wait here, I guess," I said in a small voice to myself. "Papa always says that if I'm lost, I should wait for him to come back to get me. He'll be here soon; I'm sure of it."_

But I know he never made it. Images of what came next and what came before returned to me instantly. If I had my physical body, and I were somehow forced to see all these memories at once, my brain would have blown up.

I could see another Boss monster finding me and taking care of me, and my fear turning into excitement as I discovered the new world around me. I spent my whole time in the Ruins, but I was never bored, because everyday, I learned new things I would never have learned in the Surface. I discovered the existence of a race separate from ours: monsterkind. Surprisingly, they aren't big, scary, and evil, like how we portray monsters in our fiction books. Monsters are kind and trusting, and frankly, they are much better company than around 90% of humans. Heh, yeah… Monsters. They tend to always attack me at first, but after a while, I managed to befriend them. I have documented every detail and aspect of the monsters' lives in the Ruins, and a bit of their history based on what I have learned from all of them. I guess you can say I'm an expert in the Ruins and everything and everyone in it.

I had lots of time. I revamped the entire Ruins. I placed puzzles everywhere for fun. Monsters seem to love puzzles, so they enjoyed my additions. Let's see, what else did I do down there? Oh yeah, Toriel's collection of books. I liked how she had both human and monster books there, so I read them all. The subjects varied from physics to Anna Karenina to 72 Uses for Snails. Some books I reread, while others were only touched once. My favorite books; however, were the ones she had on magic. Both human and monster. I didn't think humans could generate magic. Whoa. I guess those witch trials in history weren't entirely without merit, but when I was still on the Surface, I've never seen any traces of magic anymore. Some still believed in the occult, but they were often dismissed as crazy. I wonder if they were the ones who were privy to the truth this entire time. Or they're really just crazy. Who knows?

As the years passed by, I found myself perfecting the kinds of magecraft in the books here. It's incomplete, of course, so I guess I could never be a Merlin, but seriously. I doubt the determined kid in front of me has seen anyone in the Surface chuck rocks at people's heads, right? No, movies don't count. But yeah, I managed to learn. What made human magic different from monster magic is the method and its manifestations. Monsters were made of magic, so it was much easier for them to summon and use magic. Humans, on the other hand, require more effort to exert magical effort. While we have a nervous system with neurons and nerves all over our body, humans are also gifted with Magic Circuits. Imagine neurons and nerves, but instead of transmitting signals to and from the brain, it transmits magical energy. Yep, that's what Magic Circuits are. Some people are more naturally inclined to magic than others. I guess maybe if you had ancestors who could perform magic, your lineage is more attuned to magic. On the other hand, someone who isn't born of that lineage may need to exert more effort to activate their Magic Circuits.

Regardless of natural ability, Magic Circuits are normally dormant at first, so you awaken them the first time you use magic. Trust me. It was a painful experience. I passed out from the pain and shock of my circuits activating for the first time. Kind of like muscles, you have to train and use these circuits every day. Let's see, what kind of magic did I learn? Mostly magic that involved the mind. I learned a bit of alchemy, but I was poor at it. I even tried to learn elemental magic. Maybe if I can learn water, earth, fire, and air, I can be a real-life Avatar. Nope. It didn't work. I burnt my own face by accident when trying fire. Toriel was so angry and worried at the same time while she healed me, then she banned me from practicing elemental magic. Sad.

So, I discovered a new world, and revived a dead human ability (although that revival died with me anyway). Not a bad deal for being trapped in the Underground forever. Huh, I wrote all of these things in a book, right? I wonder if anyone read it. Have other humans seen it? Has Toriel managed to discover it?

Why didn't I try to leave the Underground? Pretty simple. I understood that it was useless for me to escape on my own. I would have been killed the second I stepped out of the Ruins. While I could kill anyone who tried stopping me, it didn't feel right. Besides, there's nothing to gain from killing. If I wanted information on monster battle tactics, I could just fight them without killing them. With that in mind, I concocted a plan. I can perfect my magic while waiting for the six other humans to fall here. I can train everyone so that they can activate their magic circuits and perform magic. From there, all 7 of us would have enough power to break the barrier. After all, what was needed to break it is the power of 7 human SOULs, right? They didn't necessarily have to be _dead_ human SOULs. Why did everyone assume that you had to kill 7 humans for this sort of thing?

As those memories returned to me, I also remembered who I was.

Have you ever felt as if you were born too late to discover new lands and seas, yet born too early to discover other planets capable of sustaining life and aliens? Have you ever felt like you were born in a world that runs both too fast and slow at the same time, where people chase rapidly after new technological developments yet sometimes still have societal ideas and traditions that belong to the 19th century? Yep, that's how I feel like.

My name is Katrina, although I prefer to be called by my nickname, Kara. Don't ask me where I got the nickname; that story will take too long. I never knew my mother. She died when I was born. As for my father, he was a scientist who dealt with plants. I don't really see him often, because he is busy with work. But since he remarried another woman, I'm normally stuck with my stepmother. I didn't like her. She spends too much money on liposuction surgeries and shopping for bags and clothes. Her children are no better either. Her son must be bored with his life, because he liked bullying me. Her daughter is like her, except snottier and prissier, and she had the IQ of a sea sponge.

I don't remember their names, but I remember their faces, and bits of how they interacted with me. I remember that the only reason I stayed with them is because it doesn't make sense to leave without resources. Besides, as much as I don't really like them, they don't outright abuse me or anything. We just have different interests. Thankfully, they left me to my own devices. I don't really like other people snooping in around my room and nag about how it is a mess, anyway. I know my room is a mess, but it's an organized kind of mess. Like somehow, I still know where to find my things, because the several wrappers and loose clothes serve as markers, so I remember where I last placed the objects. Also, if I left, that would also mean leaving my dad. He may be out often, and he may be even more eccentric than even I was, but he's a good guy. I don't really want to leave him.

How did I get down here in the Underground? Well, I was 8. My dad wanted me to accompany him to Mt. Ebbott. He needed a plant that could only be found up there. Honestly, the man never told me about his work. I have a sneaking suspicion he's actually involved in a governmental bioterrorism research, or something like that. Why use nuclear bombs to kill your enemies when you can mess up their flora and fauna and infect their citizens until they're so weak that they can't move. Rip out a page from Moses' book and launch the plagues to make the enemy state surrender? Or maybe my imagination is just wild, and my dad is just a loving, green thumb person who spends day and night talking to plants and collecting plant extracts. Who knows?

"Do you think it's logical for a mountain to be cursed?" My father laughed when someone warned him about the curse of this mountain. "The only thing making it cursed is the weird, superficial imagination of you local folk. Come on, Katrina. I promised you we will bond together while I do my work, right?" he said, taking my hand and leading me away from the person.

Well, on the mountain, I found myself separated from my dad when I ran off from him because I saw this interesting animal in the woods. That was a bad idea, because eventually I found myself falling down here.

So, there, I fell. I stayed here, and waited for humans. Eventually, I grew old, yet no other human fell into the Underground. As I felt myself already close to death, I realized that I failed precisely because I waited for too long. I lived down here for around 80 years. No new human fell to the Underground. I may not be able to shatter the Barrier myself, but there was still one logical option left for me to do. Having made up my mind, I left the Ruins and walked to the king's castle. There, I sacrificed my SOUL for the monsters' right to be free. I am an old woman who was about to die soon, anyway. Might as well make my SOUL useful, right? All I asked was that King Asgore would wait for me to die before taking my SOUL instead of killing me immediately. He was nice enough to agree to my request. He's a great guy, but his eyes…. They hold the sadness of the world. It's the face of a man who has lost everything, and yet somehow, he still kept going, even if he was lost with no certain direction of where exactly he was going. I guess a part of me pitied him, so I gave him a bit of advice.

" _Is this the only way for your kind to move forward, or are there other options you have overlooked?" I asked the king while we were having tea together. I was already weak and could no longer walk properly, so I was sitting on my bed while he sat on a chair in front of me._

 _He frowned. "I'm not sure I follow," his low voice boomed. His voice seemed naturally loud even when we were just talking._

 _I shrugged, although doing so was a bit of an effort on my weak bones. Whatever. My body may be frail and old, but my mind is still as sharp as ever. "Here, I'll rephrase. Let's say along with my Patience SOUL, you got all 6 other SOULs. What happens?"_

" _I will absorb the SOULs and break the Barrier. Then monsters will finally be free," Asgore murmured wistfully._

" _Then what?" I wanted to probe further._

 _He jerked back as he looked at my face. I think I was giving him one of my intense stares again? I don't know. It's not as if I could control my facial expression 24/7, right? But I want an answer, and I am not dropping the subject until he gives me one, even if we keep at this topic for an eternity._

" _You don't know, huh?" I crossed my arms and waited for him to object or prove me wrong. He slumped his shoulders in defeat, indicating that my hypothesis is correct._

" _Heh, I guess you've got your work cut out for you. Time to start planning. I'll warn you. No matter what you do, things won't be so easy." I took a sip of the golden flower tea he brewed me. "Human's first instinct is always self-preservation, save a few exceptional circumstances. Humans cannot trust what they do not know. In fact, they fear it precisely due to their lack of knowledge about the unknown. So, what do you think will their reaction be once they see monsters on the Surface? They'll freak out. On a small scale, I can imagine the local populace creating a mob to hunt you all down, or they can get the police or the national army. On a large scale, I can already imagine the United Nations Security Council assembling to determine what the international community will do regarding your kind."_

 _Asgore looked worried. "Will they react like that even if we tell them that we come in peace?" he asked._

 _I nodded. "As I said, self-preservation is the goal, so they will always meet you with violence. Shoot first, ask questions later, so to speak. If you proceed down the diplomatic path, things won't be guaranteed to be easier. For all I know, maybe they would take some monsters and study them in labs to discover more of your characteristics, kind of like what they do when they discover new species of animals." The king shuddered involuntarily, his face full of disgust and shock._

 _I sighed. "The prejudice will always be there, and will take a very long time before it disappears, if it ever will. Even among humans, many tend to be prejudiced against those of different countries, or religions, or skin colors. Seriously, as long as you are different in any way, the prejudice will always be there."_

" _And if we went to war against the humans?" Asgore inquired. His voice had gotten a bit softer. Obviously this isn't an option he wants to consider._

 _I felt my facial expressions darkening. "You may have magic and whatnot, but you will never survive against human warfare. Have you ever heard of atomic bombs?"_

 _He shook his head. "No. What is it?"_

 _I frowned. "I don't know how it works entirely. I don't really like war stuff. But, well, some humans dropped those bombs in two human cities during a war. The bombs killed off so many people and destroyed a lot of the property. And even the humans who survived the explosion got sick due to mutations in their genes, so they ended up dead anyway. And that was during the 1940s. Can you imagine how much science has advanced from that time, and how tools of war had developed?" I shook my head gravely. I don't like telling Asgore this, but this is information he needs to hear. "You won't survive a war against humanity, Your Majesty. You were already defeated the first time your kind entered a war against humans. What makes you think you can win this 2nd time? Even if you absorbed all the 7 human SOULs and became a powerful god-like being, you don't have enough power to defeat humanity. The moment humans decide to go to war against monsters, you can be certain that your kind will be exterminated. I don't know if humans will show mercy even after you surrender, but if they want to conduct a full-on genocide of monsterkind, they can, and they will."_

 _The king's shoulders slumped as he bowed his head. Some loose strands of fur shielded his eyes. "So, there is absolutely no hope for us… Is that what you are saying… Kara?" he asked in a dejected voice. His voice was shaky as he shook slightly at the mention of my name. I can't really blame him, I guess. His dead child's name was Chara, right? Sounds a whole lot like my nickname. Maybe I should have just made him call me Katrina._

 _I shook my head again. "No, Your Majesty. I'm not telling you not to give up. I'm just giving you the current facts. I'm giving you this warning so that you can plan accordingly what you should do. Is it really necessary for monsters to be free, or is the risk of the Surface too high that it's not worth sacrificing your current safety? Assuming you choose to never surrender that hope for the Surface, that begs the question: just how exactly will you deal with humans? How can you convince them that you won't be a threat to them? How can you ensure your people's safety? How can you guarantee that there will be no war between the two races? What will be your diplomatic and political strategy? What's your economic strategy to ensure that monsters won't go poor and hungry up there?" I took another sip of the golden flower tea before continuing. "You are a commendable man, Your Majesty. Which is why I want to help you succeed. I like monsters more than humans, to be honest," I admitted with a wry smile. "I understand that your research and technology department is highly skilled, right? The CORE is a marvelous work, after all."_

 _The King smiled. "I'm certain Dr. Gaster will appreciate the comment," he mused._

 _I found myself smiling as well. The King is a nice guy. He should feel more joy than what he has now. "I think the key lies in your technology. If somehow, you could surpass humans in their level of technology, you might stand a chance. Humans have forgotten the ways of magic, so that's another advantage. If you have both magic and technology on your side, you can secure to yourselves a better bargaining and defensive position."_

 _We were silent for a while, as the King gave my words thought. Finally, I sighed and said, "This is exactly why I decided to sacrifice my SOUL for monsters, Your Majesty. I think monsters deserve the Surface more than humans ever would. But you have to be wise and careful when planning your next moves, because a single misstep may lead to a genocide. Gather all the information you could first, then make the best decision possible based on the data. It's going to take a long time, but eventually, the fruits of your labor will be worth it." I promised. That's what Patience is about, anyway. The situation may not be ideal for you now, but if you took a step back and took the time to gather information to aid you in making your decisions, you will eventually be able to get where you want to be. Information is always the most powerful weapon, more powerful than any atomic bomb may be._

I scoffed. I wanted to help free monsters, but here we are now. This place doesn't look like the Surface, so I'm guessing that freedom was never obtained yet.

Oh wait, right, the kid wanted help, yeah? Out of my way, Flowey! I think you've done enough. I pushed on, and Flowey seemed too shocked that I had recovered consciousness that he posed no protest. Finally, I found myself in control of the body, and aware of everything going on both outside, and inside.

Ah, so that's how he's been doing everything. He has control of 6 human SOULs, mine included. I could sense those 5 other presences still in deep slumber. I wanted to attempt waking them up, but then I felt a sharp pain in my head as Flowey tried to wrestle control from me.

"You idiot! You're supposed to obey me!" I can hear him yelling at me.

I considered looking for an incantation I could use to silence Flowey, yet I don't think I learned a skill of that caliber. I tried looking for other spells in my magical arsenal, but I found nothing that could resolve my current problem. I became aware of my unfortunate situation. Despite me regaining consciousness, I realized that I alone am not strong enough to fight Flowey. I may have obtained control over this body, but I cannot keep it up for long. He's using those 5 other SOULs to support himself. Eventually, it will only be a matter of time before he fully overpowers me and pushes me back into the background. Even now, I can already feel him pushing against my brain, forcing me to yield control. I grit my teeth.

Oh shoot! I am too focused on the migraine that I forgot to help the kid. Okay, so uhhh. I can't hold Flowey back forever, so I can't help them with that. I can maybe boost their stats—increase their ATK and DEF? I'm not sure if I have mastered the magic to increase INV in life, and as much as I want to try it, I don't think I have the luxury of time to do it. Ah wait, stupid! HP, of course! This kid is quite nearing death already. Mmkay, let's see… I never learned human healing magic, so I looked for answers within Flowey's memories. I saw how monsters had their own magic, and they can use it to heal each other. I don't know if monster magical methods will help me now, but I don't really have any other choice. I focused on my nicest memories, ignoring distractions that can snap my concentration. Heh, I wasn't really good at not being distracted.

I opened my eyes and saw that the knives had changed to bandages. I smiled. I remember using a lot of bandages when I was alive, as I kept scraping myself in various parts of my body as I explored this new world I was thrust into. It also didn't help that monsters were always hostile to me at first. I know I could have waited for Toriel to heal me with her magic, but putting on bandages to prevent infection is an effective first aid measure anyway.

I gasped in pain as I could feel my hold weakening. I know that in just a few seconds, I will lose control completely. I try to make my voice heard so that the child can hear what I have to say. I don't know if they heard it, but it's worth a shot.

"Please stay patient. I'll find some other way to help you."

I felt the last of my strength fading as Flowey regained control of the body. I looked at myself and saw that I finally have some physical form of a sort. I looked the way I did as a young woman: an unremarkable woman clothed in the same type of robes Toriel had. I guess this is what happens when I regain a sense of self? I looked at the 5 other SOULS. They were nothing but gray mist that were distinct enough to be 5 separate entities, but aside from that, there is nothing to give me clues on who they are or what their SOUL types are. Hmm, maybe if I can try to awaken them, they could help me get out of here.

If not, I'll just collect data about Flowey first. After all, he is quite an interesting specimen, and I doubt there is anyone like him existing in this world. As much as he is a monster in both the literal and figurative sense, he is still a unique being, and knowing more about such a one-in-a-kind creature is quality entertainment indeed.

 **A/N: The human magic methods were inspired by the Fate series.**


	2. The Opportunistic Hero

**A/N: I edited the first chapter, because I realized there wasn't much info on Kara's history. I might continue re-editing chapters as I go.**

 **Mmm, let's see. This chapter contains strong language, mentions of drugs and crime, family massacre, and a child's violent death. Granted, all the fallen humans were killed by the monsters (except Kara), but some deaths may be more painful and violent than the others. Nothing too graphic or detailed, but I'll give the warning here just in case. Let me know if I forgot anything in this list. Thanks. :D**

I woke up feeling like shit. I felt as if I had slept forever, but at the same time, I felt as if I were being drained of energy.

"Oh, you're awake. That's good," a mellow, low-pitched female voice said. I turned and saw a ghost with a light blue heart floating inside of her. She couldn't be older than 30, I guess. She seemed tall, and she wore a purple robe with white sleeves. There was an insignia on her robes, which was somewhat familiar. She had a small oval face with her turquoise eyes, elven nose, and her small lips. She had wavy ginger hair tied in a side ponytail, with a faded red ribbon keeping it in place. Her eyes are one-of-a-kind, though. While her body language appeared chill and relaxed, her eyes seemed to be running at a thousand miles per hour. She gave me an awkward, lopsided smile, and I could see a huge gap between her two front teeth. Overall, she isn't exactly a beauty queen, but she isn't hideous to look at either.

"Are you done staring?" the woman asked with a trolling undertone in her words, as if she were deliberately trying to make me feel embarrassed. Stupid bitch.

I laughed boisterously. No damn way am I giving her the satisfaction of seeing me embarrassed. I don't give a fuck that she caught me staring…. Okay, fine. Maybe I give two fucks that she caught me staring, but I'm still not telling her that. "Heh, can you blame me? I see dead people. I must be going mad," I joked.

The woman laughed. "Yep. I'm dead. And so are you, so we're even."

I paused at her blunt retort. What the hell? I'm dead? So that makes me a ghost, too? "That's bullshit!" I exclaimed. Deep down, however, I knew she wasn't shitting with me. That trolling quality in her voice disappeared. She's dead serious… No pun intended.

"And your denial is bullshit, too. I think you know I'm telling the truth," the woman said flatly.

I stared at the woman. She may have a calm aura with some bits of awkwardness, but damn, the old hag sure knows how to pack a punch.

I looked around. There's a kid trying to avoid multiple floating white hands that were arranged in circles. I looked down, expecting to see a physical body. There's nothing. Shit.

"That's fucking unfair," I said. "Why do you get to be a ghost with an appearance, while I get to be a pack of nothingness."

"Simple," the woman said with a smile. "I managed to remember who I am. I think we all start off without our memories, and as we regain them, we recover our physical appearances. I suppose you don't remember anything about yourself and how you got here, hmm?" the woman asked.

I thought about it for a while, and sure enough, I realized she is right. I don't remember anything. I don't remember my name, or even how I look like. I tried forcing myself to find even one memory. Holy shit! I'm drawing a total blank here. A wave of panic rushed through me, but it also disappeared just as quickly as it had arisen. "Oh. Lol," I grinned at her.

The woman tilted her head, obviously confused by my underwhelmed reaction. "Huh, you are taking this much more calmly than I expected."

I shrugged. "Eh? No big deal. Who gives a shit about the past? What matters is the present. Let's do what we can do right now. Besides, it ain't so bad. This isn't the first time I woke up without memories anyway, so-" I paused as I noticed what I just said. 'This isn't the first time'…. Does that mean I lost my memories before? How many goddamn times did I hit my head to forget everything? Am I that fucking stupid? Or am I just fucking unlucky?

The woman frowned. "I see. Anyways, my name is Kara. I'll explain everything to you."

She then proceeded to telling me all this crap about being dead, our SOULs being absorbed by some weird talking flower thing, and how our SOULs are being harnessed to attack a kid. She talked somewhat slowly, taking long meaningful pauses as she constructed her sentences properly in her head before she continued with her discussion. Sometimes, she had to backtrack to explain everything in a clearer matter, or to supply stuff she had forgotten to mention earlier, before she moved on to her next point.

I stared at her for a while as I tried to process everything in my head. After a while, I burst into laughter. "Are you fucking high? Hey, where did you get your supply of weed? Maybe I can steal some and sell them, and be filthy stinking rich!"

Kara was taken aback, and she huffed in indignation. "How the hell can I get drugs in the Underground? Marijuana doesn't even grow here." She caught herself and calmed down before she said evenly, "Alright, try thinking for yourself and see if I am making this up. I have a feeling you aren't the type to just stay put, so logically, you left the Ruins. Chances are, some other monster brutally killed you. Is that enough for you to at least recall how you died?"

I was about to laugh at her again, when a memory played in my head.

I felt severe pain, as I was being slammed around walls like some sort of ragdoll. I could feel bruises forming, and bones breaking due to the impact my body makes with the surfaces. On the other hand, it was not simply my body that felt pain, but also my SOUL. I felt as if someone is trying to tear out my SOUL from my body. The physical pain I felt would probably have made me faint, but I was somehow kept alive by the adrenaline and the hatred burning inside of me.

I can see a face in front of me, or uh…. What the fuck? A skeleton? Anyways, the skeleton's one eye is closed, and he wore glasses taped to his head? Skull? Bah, whatever! I could see his fingers glowing blue as he moved his hand, which also caused me to move in the direction he moved his hand. Ah… So that's how the bastard did it. He used some sort of magic to move my SOUL around. He wore a lab coat or something, so I assume that he is some sort of evil, sicko, mad scientist. Hmm, somehow I could remember him really being an evil scientist, although I can't remember exactly what the fuck did he do? Did he torture humans that came along? That's clearly what this psycho is doing to me now, isn't it?

So, I was killed by that motherfucker eh? Can I still get revenge? I don't appreciate the spontaneous Disneyland Wreck-Your-Bones ride. I would want to wreck _his_ bones and set his goddamn lab on fire to destroy everything he has ever worked on, to get even with him. I want a rematch.

"Whoa there, easy now," Kara warned. "You can't have a rematch."

"Son of a bitch! You can read my thoughts?" I exclaimed at her.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can, just like how you can read mine, and Flowey's thoughts as well. You could say we are all freely exchanging information here, although I believe Flowey is too busy toying with the human to pay attention to us."

"Toying?" I asked, confused. Now that I have taken a look at everything going on around me, I think I could believe Kara. There's the kid, trying not to get their ass kicked by floating white hands. There's the cackling laughter surrounding me, and it sounded like an annoying-as-fuck, evil Spongebob laughing his ass off. I guess Kara is right at least on the whole "Flowey is trying to kill a kid" claim. However, I don't understand how all of this could be seen as Flowey toying with the kid. Is he actually enjoying this? If that's the case, then this flower is sickening shit.

Kara nodded grimly. "Yeah, I've been observing Flowey this whole time. His power is off the roof, you could say. He also has the power to RESET time. So, I was thinking, if he merely wanted to kill the child, he would have done it with one quick and powerful attack, and then we're done. However, here we are having a protracted battle. Clearly, he just wants to mess with the child for as long as possible, maybe keep hurting them in the process."

"Hold it! You said 'reset'? What the fuck is this, some sort of bullshit movie where the hero gets instant time control powers?" I asked incredulously. Yeah, sure. I am now positive that Kara is telling the truth about dying and SOULs. I am sure I have been to the Underground, and I have seen monsters blahblahblah. However, I have not seen anyone with that kind of power. What the fuck? This damn story just keeps getting weirder and weirder. What's next? This kid becomes a superhero who gets bitten by some animal to gain superpowers?

Kara frowned. "Well, more precisely, it is like a videogame. When you die in a videogame, you can start over, right? Somehow, it's the same case here. He can SAVE his progress, and then LOAD it if he feels the need to go back there. However, I still don't fully understand the mechanics of this power, and why or how it exists in the first place. I don't know if there are any weaknesses associated with this power either."

I thought that Kara was probably crazy, but yet again, she was right about us being dead and our SOULS being turned into batteries for Flowey. Most probably, she is also right about these weirdass powers too. However, I am not that gullible. I am not going to believe something so easily just because an old hag says so. "Sooo. Did you see him actually RELOAD, or are you just shitting on me?"

Kara nodded. "He sets the kid up in a trap. Sometimes, he RELOADs so that the child will be moved a few steps back to where they were moments ago. That exact spot is where he aimed his attacks a split-second ago, so the child will certainly be hit by the attack."

I scowled and would have clenched my fist, if I weren't a floating mass of God-knows-what. "That shit-eating cunt. Who the fuck does he think he is, treating that kid like some toy?" I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. This Flowey thing… He's exactly like that skeleton who killed me. He doesn't give a damn about anyone and just treats everyone like shit. They are ridiculously overpowered and they use said power to bully everyone. This dick really has to be brought down at all costs. After all, that is what a hero would do. Yeah, that's right. No hero would just sit here and watch that kid get beaten up like a dog.

"Hey, Kara, let's bring this asshole down!" I said.

Kara took a step back at my sudden enthusiasm, but that wasn't gonna stop me. "He's just an overgrown, wrinkly douchebag who probably eats horse shit and is high on cocaine. I mean seriously, just look at his form! What the fuck is he supposed to be, some weirdass TV flower with creepy vines? Besides, you say he's a monster, right? Monsters are still weaker than humans. He can't stop humans like you and me. We can't just leave the kid out there, you know? We have nothing to lose. We are fucking dead, so we probably lost everything long ago, but not our pride! So, let's get out there and teach this shitface a lesson! Let's give him an asskicking he will never forget!" My blood is boiling, and my energy is high. I may already be dead, but I don't give a fuck. At this moment, I feel alive and ready to kick ass. It is not a foreign sensation at all. This all feels so natural to me.

Kara raised an eyebrow. "You're not even going to try to regain your memories?" she asked.

"Nope. Fuck that!" I said. "Nobody gives a shit about history. They're in the past, so they can't affect you in the present and the future anymore. Besides, I guess I already had amnesia before, so if I keep forgetting my past, I guess it's that forgettable and unimportant. Besides, I think it's more important to help that kid and teach this psychopathic flower a lesson."

Kara seemed overwhelmed by my response. I could see her thoughts, unsure of whether to judge me as a really brave and noble person, or a dumbass. "That's not how it works. You have to regain your sense of self, so that you get enough control over your power to rebel against Flowey."

"I'll find a way around it," I reassured her, giving her the biggest grin I could manage. "I always do. How about you, old hag, what have you done so far?" I asked her.

Kara frowned, clearly unhappy at being called an old hag. "I'm trying to understand the mechanics of Flowey's powers. That's how I managed to deduce that regaining a sense of self is critical. I still don't understand a lot of things, though."

I laughed at her. "I think I see the problem now. You think too much! I'm not saying you should just charge into battle without thinking. That's fucking stupid. Thinking and planning ahead helps and is important, but that can't be all you do. Nothing will happen if you just sit here and wait. You gotta take fucking control of the moment! That's why I want your help. Let's beat up this flower! It's time to take revenge, because there's no way in hell we should just accept that Flowey had turned us into power sources for his twisted bullshit. Besides, we get to be cool, badass heroes who can slay this monster. You can be the magician who casts spells and shit, and then I move forward and punch him in the face. It's gonna be fucking epic!"

"Hey…" Kara began, but then she was cut off by the kid crying out for help. We turned to their direction and saw that the kid was still alive, although cut and burnt in several parts of their body.

"Besides, how can you just sit here while someone is beating up a kid? That's fucked up! I don't give a shit if we're dead or we're slaves to this stupid flower! Let's go and kick his ass!" I yelled.

Kara was silent for a while, observing me quietly. She then said in a low voice, "You're really brave, aren't you? You're not even fazed by all of this. Are you not at all afraid? Not even a little bit?"

I laughed again. "Nope. This guy is just an overgrown bully. He should be easy to beat up. Besides, even if I were afraid, I can't afford to waste time cowering and begging for Mommy to show up. That is the true meaning of bravery. You're afraid, but fuck that! There is something more important and stronger than your fear; something that compels you to fight for someone or some ideal. And so, you cast aside your doubts and worries, pick up your weapon, and fight! Courage is not the absence of fear, and-" I paused. Those words were just too familiar. Those were the exact same words I remembered before the dam within my brain was unlocked. With that, the memories came flooding back to me, and I remembered everything.

I lived in this huge-ass house. I could see my 3 older sisters. Jana, the oldest, was a model. She had a naturally slim body that other girls would probably kill for. She had always rejected her manager's persuasions that she should undergo surgery and remove her floating ribs so that her hips become smaller. She always had a confident yet somewhat vain air around her. The second daughter, Carmen, is quiet and withdrawn from most people. She barely looked anyone in the eye and preferred staying in her room all day. However, she is madly skilled in playing instruments and creating sick mixtapes. The last sister, Rosalinda, is a high-strung prankster. She had always had a nice carefree laugh, and she often invited me to help her plan and play pranks on people. We got in trouble together often, but neither of us really minded. All 3 women could kick ass. Jana practiced judo, which she probably needed to beat up creepy stalkers who bothered her because they found her hot. Carmen is a taekwondo black belter, although she preferred to never show her abilities because that meant additional attention. Finally, Rosalinda is a kickboxer. I told my parents that I was interested in kickboxing, so I also had kickboxing lessons. At least it was a chance to spend more time with Rosalinda.

Turning to the kitchen, I could see Mama baking oatmeal cookies. The strong smell of cinnamon is all over the place. She is an immigration lawyer, so she was busy most of the time. She is probably the kindest person I have ever met, but Papa warned me not to be fooled. Mama is ruthless in work, and if she were a housewife who chose to spend her time taking care of her children, she wouldn't hesitate to use corporal punishment as a mode for discipline.

Finally, I remembered Papa. I idolized the man, and I guess that if I had the chance to grow up, I wanted to be like him. He is a Senator, yet he somehow still kept fighting for what he believed is right. He is charming and knew how to get the votes he needed, yet there were many people who hated his guts. His grandfather migrated to this country, which was why our family stayed here and became citizens of this country. Rosalinda explained that this is the reason why some people didn't like Papa. They didn't like how someone whose family was not originally from here is allowed to be in government. I don't understand.

Apparently, Papa uncovered that some other politicians were corrupt pieces of shit. I don't really know what the hell happened, but I understood that they used the government's money to buy shit for themselves. I don't really remember what they bought, but I remember Rosalinda mentioning a golden toilet seat. Really now, why the fuck will you buy a golden toilet seat? People are starving and dying out there, and yet here are these asshole politicians who decided they need to sit on gold while shitting.

 _I could see the fire and smoke enveloping everything. It was supposed to be my birthday party, yet someone decided to burn our house down during that time. I couldn't see anyone and I was all alone. I am afraid. I don't want to die here. I don't want my family to die here._

" _Fernando," I heard a croaked voice say. I turned, and sure enough I saw a girl's silhouette. She did not seem skinny enough to be Jana, yet she also did not have a slight slouch that Carmen had. Without thinking, I ran to the figure and wrapped my arms around her._

" _Rosalinda!" I exclaimed. I felt tears streaming down my face._

 _Rosalinda gripped me for a second, before she released me and knelt down. She wrapped a wet towel around my head to cover my nose and mouth, matching the blue towel she is using to cover her face. "It will help you breath better," she explained._

" _Where-?" I asked, but she cut me off._

" _I don't know," Rosalinda said. She then carried me on her back without giving room for further talk. We moved in the quickest pace possible, although certainly Rosalinda has been slowed down by my weight. She did her best to weave her way around the house, avoiding the fire. Occasionally, she would cough, but that didn't deter her from moving forward._

 _Soon enough, we saw an exit. I felt Rosalinda regain the energy she had lost, rejuvenated by hope now that we were so close to freedom. We moved towards the exit as fast as we could, when suddenly, something burning fell in front of us. The exit was now smaller than it was a while ago._

 _Without hesitation, Rosalinda placed me down. "Go."_

 _I clung to her arm, and shook her head. There is no way I'm leaving her here to die._

 _Rosalinda pushed me with all her might, so that I found myself outside the burning house despite my resistance. I looked back and tried to go back to her, but she smiled and shook her head. "Find help. I'll find another way to get out. I promise," I could hear her say._

 _I wanted to protest, but I knew that the more I wasted time, the less likely she is going to survive. I nodded and ran as fast as I could calling for help. Before long, firemen had put out the fire, and then they tried searching for survivors. There were none._

I hoped that Rosalinda managed to escape on her own. Maybe she was gone because she went to look for me? However, they were able to recover five charred bodies. Five bodies, for the five other members of my family. They were all dead.

I fell unconscious after wailing in agony upon seeing the five bodies. When I woke up, I could no longer remember anything. The social workers in the orphanage gave me a name: Jeremy. Eventually, I ran away and lived on the streets. I did not like it in the orphanage. Those social workers can't take care of children even if you shoot a bullet through their heads. I might as well live out here and look out for myself. At least I have my freedom, and no one can tell me what the fuck I should do with my life. Living out here required that I use my head, or else I would end up dead. I took any opportunity I could to survive. I begged. I stole. I did some errands for gangs and some syndicates. I never trusted anyone, nor told them about my past. The moment you show any sign of weakness, you could be killed.

But despite the darkness of my situation, I found some relief in drawing. I drew on scraps of paper I could find. While I don't remember anything from my past, sometimes, bits of memories seep in my drawings. Sometimes, I would draw a big house, a girl in a sexy black dress, another girl not facing the viewer and is wearing headphones to shield herself from her surroundings, or a middle-aged woman in a kitchen. More often, I find myself drawing this pretty girl with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and a laughing expression, as if somebody just told her the best joke in the world. Or, I find myself drawing a middle-aged man with a kind smile on his face. I held on to the hope that somehow, someday, I will remember everything.

I found myself in the Underground because I fell as I was running away from the police. There was this weird goat mom who took me in despite her obvious shock at my language and demeanor. She's quite nice, and after a while, I felt safe with her. Eventually, life became boring and repetitive. While I was with her, I made a friend: Frank. The Froggit is the first friend I've had as far as I could remember. He liked this place, but he had a certain longing for adventure. He has never left the Ruins, and he wanted to see the world outside.

" _Hmm, Frank, what do you say we bust out of here?" I asked him._

 _Frank couldn't have responded differently if they had received a prophecy about them being the Chosen One who will free monsterkind from the Underground. "Wh-what d-did y-you say? Jeremy, that is insane!"_

 _I rolled my eyes. "Look, I am grateful for everything Toriel has done for me. I truly appreciate it, but I am sick and tired of being here. This place really isn't my style! I wanted to feel safe for once in my life, but this safety is just so dull and boring that I could die. I want to go back out to the Surface, and live as I wish there. No rules, no restraints, no authorities telling me what I cannot do. Honestly, life is shit on the streets, but at least I feel alive. How about you, Frank? This is your dream, right? You wanna live, too? In that case, you and I have the same goal, so we should stick together, eh?"_

 _Frank still looked cautious and hesitant, but I guess my words were having an effect on them. "You mean… You are going to take me to the Surface with you?"_

 _I grinned at him. "Of course! I wanna show my pal the Surface and give 'em the chance to do whatever they want for a change."_

 _Frank seemed as if they could burst from happiness, but they forced themselves to stay calm despite their trembling. "Do… do you promise you will really bring me to the Surface with you?"_

 _I was taken aback by the question. I didn't expect Frank to put me in a position that required commitment. I hated commitment. However, looking at those big eyes, I could not find the heart to refuse that earnest wish. "Of course. You and I will both get out of here."_

I felt a knot twist painfully in my gut. Frank… How are they? Come to think of it, I never managed to fulfill my promise to them? When we got out, we spent most of the time hiding and travelling only during night, to prevent encounters with the monsters who wanted me dead. However, in Hotland, there wasn't really anywhere to hide. I made my decision and killed an enemy who was stupid enough to attack me. That didn't really bode well with Frank, and they left me in disgust. I didn't expect to feel bad, considering that shit is in the past, but I still do. I wonder how they are now. Do they still hate me?

Ah snap out of it, Fernando! It doesn't mean jackshit. You're dead. You can't go back to them to apologize.

I then remembered how I died. I entered that lab, planning on stealing G and food since I don't have any left. I could recall the horror I felt when I saw those papers on that plain desk. I may not have understood everything written, but I grasped the general idea: a scientist was planning on creating artificial monsters that he will torture to find a way to break the Barrier. I may generally not like monsters that much, because everyone except Toriel tried to kill me at first glance, but this is a brand new level of fucked up evil. Unfortunately for me, the fucked up mad scientist found me, and I guess he killed me. I opened my eyes and found myself back in the darkness, with a ghost, an evil flower, and an injured child.

Kara beamed at me. "You remembered."

I crossed my arms at her. I was subconsciously aware of the fact that I had finally gained a more concrete form. "You little shit. You knew that was gonna happen, did ya?" I accused. Now, I realized her last question prodded me to remember my trait, and to ultimately remember everything else.

Kara gave me a sheepish grin. "You don't need rocket science to conclude that you are a Bravery SOUL. It's too blatant and in-my-face. But I didn't know that making you blab is enough to trigger your memories." She rolled her eyes in a joking manner. "You never cease to surprise me, you know?"

"Yeah? Well watch what else I can do!" I bragged. With that, I pushed harder towards the battle scene. I could sense Kara helping me fight Flowey for control over the body, but the renewed strength and vigor gave me the push I needed. "Get. Out. Of. My. Way. YOU BASTARD!" I screamed at Flowey.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was now in control of the body.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me, you weed!" I scoffed at Flowey. "I survived gangs, drug syndicates, the police, and the city streets. You've got nothing on me!"

"Fernando, quick, heal the kid now!" Kara ordered. I could sense Flowey trying to wrestle control from me, causing a shitty migraine, but the pain subsided just as quickly as it had arrived. "I'll hold him off. Just hurry," she said through gritted teeth.

Yeah, sure, like I know how to do healing magic. What the fuck do I do, just point at the kid and go Abra cadabra? Wingardium Leviosa?

Without me asking for it, what seemed like Kara's memories played in my head. Okay, so I just have to think of the nicest stuff in life, eh? That's a corny and lame way to do magic, meh, it gets shit done. I closed my eyes and focused on the moments of my childhood, when my dad would take me out to that steakhouse I loved. I remember those afternoons when we played football. I remembered those pranks Rosalinda and I played on people. The best prank was when we messed with Jana's summer dress, so she had a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a photoshoot. As I opened my eyes, I found that the white gloves initially flying all over the place turned into green thumbs up things. Oh cool, did it work?

Kara didn't reply. For a moment, I was worried that maybe Flowey had destroyed her SOUL or something, before I heard her tired voice saying, "Just a bit more."

I frowned. Looks like I don't have much time left, huh? I looked at the child, who was hungrily chasing after the green floating stuff. Well, I guess that's enough proof it worked. And hey, their HP bar is almost full, and -

Fucking hell! My head hurts so much! I could now sense Flowey seizing control from me, but I grit my teeth and force him back.

"Not today, Satan", I say through gritted teeth. I force myself to remain in control, even if the child has already fully healed. I must not give him the opportunity to regain power. That's the fundamental rule of fighting: as much as possible, don't give your opponent a chance to get the upper hand.

"Fernando, let go," Kara said in a grave tone.

The shock nearly caused me to lose control. "Whose side are you really on?" I demanded.

"Of course I'm against Flowey, but you can't hold him off for long. Let go, and let's think things through. Let's come up with a better strategy to defeat him," Kara pleaded.

Whatever, bitch. I ignored her and continued resisting Flowey. Unfortunately, my grasp slipped, and I found myself being pushed back to the background. Flowey then continued his attack, firing flying green stuff that looked like a drunk game designer's masterpiece.

"That sucks. That didn't work," I mumbled unhappily.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Geez, you really are a meathead, huh?" she asked. She didn't sound too annoyed, though. It sounded almost like Jana or Rosalinda whenever they dealt with me.

I smirked at her. It was quite clear that I have a gift for annoying even the most Patient SOULs. "Yeah, Magical Girl, I guess I am." I laughed upon seeing Kara grimace at her new nickname. "But I want to defeat this overgrown weed once and for all. If we work together to beat him up, we go free. I can get on with my life, and you wouldn't have to see me ever again. It's a compromise we can both live with," I said with a wink.

I've always been fascinated by heroes beating up the bad guys and saving others. Even when I was in the streets and was technically working for "the bad guys", that small, childish dream still remained in my head. I don't know, maybe traces of my admiration for my dad and seeing him as some sort of hero lingered even after I forgot everything. Oh well. I guess here is my chance, eh? We won't gain anything from hiding here in the background like some pussy cowards. No one is going to save us here unless we act. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

 **A/N: Yep, Fernando was killed off by the version of Gaster in the Handplates AU. I'm just new to the Undertale fandom (only played after I learned of Delta Rune and got curious), so I haven't been exposed to a lot of AUs yet. But so far, I'm in love with this AU. It has an enticing story and complex characters. Go check it out if you haven't yet. Zarla is a genius.**

 **Oh, and if there are other AUs that you want to recommend, please do. I want to see more Undertale stuff haha. Thanks :D**


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